Westministenders: Another Thread, another Shit Show. Its Trump Week

[RedToothBrush]

That is all.

I think the Stansted arrival fits right in with the second tier element of DT visit, I know, probably chosen for logistical reasons but I can’t help contrast the EasyJet vibe of Stansted with Heathro’s champagne bars at 8 am. DT too dumb to twig the difference...

(re: votes denied) I hope something does come of it:

Such as ?

The only thing that can "put things right" is to annul the election results and rerun it. Anything else is - quite simply - a waste of time.

Ultimately - for all the talk, the TL;DR is a vote is worthless in UK law. You are allowed to adjust your views of elected representatives accordingly. It certainly redefines the parameters of that blessed referendum. Because 17 million times zero is still zero.

The problems with postal voting are not new either.

Personally, I think the default for voting should be in person. With proxies the default alternative.

There's too much scope for all sorts of malarkey with postal votes. Especially in cultures that already have a poor view of womens rights.

BIGLY Placematting.
Oh yes...

I read about Bannon's monastic 'training centre' in Italy too.
math the username declaration is really worrying.

My life continues to deteriorate (wont bore you) but was in Scottish Borders at weekend and accidentally got caught up in a 2nd Referendum march. It was quite big and had a real energy about it.
Bizarrely, as we left, someone was playing the 'Dad's Army' theme tune out of a bedroom window speaker. The kids were confused!

Something that has cheered me this am though is a 'long view' pic of Tiananmen Square, 1989 (how is that possible?) 'Tank Man'. Was showing the kids, telling them: this is what one person can do, with enough courage - don't feel your voice is wasted, however awful things seem. Ds pointed out I sounded like I was trying to convince myself...

There's too much scope for all sorts of malarkey with postal votes.

Voting in person might be quite problematic for disabled people or (the specific case I'm discussing here) the British in Europe.

We had postal votes set up for the Euro elections as DH is travelling a lot at the moment. They arrived on the Thursday before the 23rd May, about an hour before we were due to leave for the airport. When we had postal votes previously (different council area) they seemed to arrive at least 2 weeks before polling day, so no idea if it is the new council or the short notice for the Euros that was the issue.

Stansted is chosen as it is close to London but smallish and can be 'locked down' for security relatively easily, mostly inconveniencing holidaymakers rather than jamming Heathrow, a major international business hub.

Just looking at the BBC photos of Trump’s arrival - Melania appears to be wearing a British Airways cabin crew uniform?

(re: votes denied) I hope something does come of it:

Such as ?

I’d like to see some legal comeback. Otherwise, we publicly admit that our system is corrupt and cannot be relied on to give an accurate interpretation of the views of the electorate.
Or “The Will Of The People”, if you prefer.

Voting in person might be quite problematic for disabled people or (the specific case I'm discussing here) the British in Europe.

Which is why I used the word "default" rather than "only". And using disability as an excuse for postal voting is a tad insulting, since it's effectively saying that if we can avoid making more places accessible by using the post, we will. (Since precedents were mentioned). Can't access your local shopping mall ? Isn't that what Amazon is for ? Local High Street potholed, pavement parked, and dropped kerbs blocked ? Haven't you heard of online shopping ? And so on. That's not me being argumentative. It's things DW has been told.

Generally, I'm all for the new and improved. But when it comes to voting, there isn't really an update to the physicality of sealed ballots, counted by hand, and available for all if required. It should be regarded as the Gold Standard, and properly funded and administered. Otherwise you'll get the Blockchain Badboys taking over with a voting "app" and we suddenly get 500 Conservative MPs elected with no way of auditing the process.

Incidentally DW wheeled up the ramp to cast her vote - nothing would have stopped her.

stripey for the deterioration.

I’d like to see some legal comeback.

Such as ?

Otherwise, we publicly admit that our system is corrupt and cannot be relied on to give an accurate interpretation of the views of the electorate. Or “The Will Of The People”, if you prefer.

We knew that before (well I did). Whatever we have now, it's in no way an accurate representation of the views of the people. Never has been.

I think the electorate has to shoulder some of the responsibility here. People who proudly announce they're a lifelong voter may as well tell us they burned their ballot after wiping their arse on it. Maybe previous generations of politicians did have a sense of duty that prevented them from taking advantage of such voters. But the Johnny-come-lately spivs of the 80s finally worked out how to use such behaviour to give us nuLabour (ultimately a Tory-lite outfit) and the present shower. Most lifelong Tory voters have no idea what they really voted for.

Which is why I used the word "default" rather than "only". And using disability as an excuse for postal voting is a tad insulting, since it's effectively saying that if we can avoid making more places accessible by using the post

Not really the place for a debate here, but the idea that the only thing which prevents disabled people from voting in person is that polling stations are inaccessible is plainly wrong.

Also important for people who travel regularly, who live abroad but still have voting rights, and those who work long hours.

It would be a good way of reducing participation by older voters though ;)

Jeremy Hunt this morning:

Hunt said: “My position on this hasn’t changed at all. I’ve always said that in the end, if the only way to leave the European Union, to deliver on the result of the referendum, was to leave without a deal, then I would do that.
But I would do so very much as a last resort, with a heavy heart, because of the risks to businesses and the risks to the union.”

I just keep thinking: who the fuck is holding a gun to our head? Why is the UK made to walk the plank? Seriously? (Sorry for swearing but I do not get it)

They're scared of what "the people" will do/say.
Who fucking cares, they don't understand the implications!!

Meanwhile ...

NHS turns to Mumsnet to fill nurse vacancies

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48438139

USA is here for the great UK carve up

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/02/donald-trump-to-land-in-uk-amid-rising-anger-over-trade-demands

Fed up with this 'will of people' shit.

You can't just airbrush out 50% of the population.

52 % rounded up to 100 and 48% rounded down to 0 . It infuriates me.

I'm just going with roughly 50% of voters as we don't know what the figure would be now. Much higher probably. It certainly is in my family now.

Ann Widdecombe has right royally pissed me off too. Why has she not been sacked?

Sorry, I didn't mean you were doing it! Just that it is how it feels.

You can't just airbrush out 50% of the population.

Donald Trump comes from a land that did that for nearly a century after independence for some

And I'm sure some South Africans have some distant memory of entire populations being ignored.

Ann Widdecombe has right royally pissed me off too. Why has she not been sacked?

Brexit party. Only answers to the supreme Nige.

PMK